Game Thread: Northwestern vs. No. 23 Indiana

[mesacat]

Lausch short on last drive.

 

[zeek55]

Let us put this into perspective. This is indiana. Last year they barely won three games. Now they're a top 20 team. It's all about transfers and the portal. Going to be very hard for us to keep up.

At the same time, anybody can turn around very fast, so teams are going to rise and fall based on how they do with transfers and the like.

And those same teams that have booms can go bust as well after transfers graduate/leave if the next group isn't as cohesive.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Positives: this team and coaching staff are clearly able to improve over the course of the year. Lausch and offense look much improved despite the offensive line struggling in the run game with so many guys hurt.

Negative: Everybody in this conference is so good already or improving rapidly and you have to run at fast as you can just to stay in the same place

 

[corbi296]

And our defense is not as good as we thought it was

LOL, captain clueless.

 

[corbi296]

Where the face mask personal foul call on that 4th down play.

 

[TheC]

We have some good players, but just not enough of them and no truly elite players

 

[PAHiCat77]

What about the face mask?

 

[phatcat]

Positives: this team and coaching staff are clearly able to improve over the course of the year. Lausch and offense look much improved despite the offensive line struggling in the run game with so many guys hurt.

Negative: Everybody in this conference is so good already or improving rapidly and you have to run at fast as you can just to stay in the same place

Well said, even if NU gets better every week, might not be enough

 

[jensberg]

LOL, captain clueless.

Okay and you think we have a good defense? I'm sure it's capable but can we beat anybody who's a good offensive team? It looks very very questionable.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Well said, even if NU gets better every week, might not be enough

We have a few very winnable games coming up that look like must wins to have a decent season. Long term the trend is challenging, the bottom half of the Big Ten is starting to look like the top half of the other P4 conferences, cupcakes are going away in the P2, giving way to mostly better and best.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Okay and you think we have a good defense? I'm sure it's capable but can we beat anybody who's a good offensive team? It looks very very questionable.

I think we can probably deal with the likes of Maryland, Iowa, and Purdue, albeit those aren’t very good offensive teams. Illinois too probably. Even still I agree with you that performance was discouraging, I didn’t expect the defense to be the side that really failed.

 

[zeek55]

Okay and you think we have a good defense? I'm sure it's capable but can we beat anybody who's a good offensive team? It looks very very questionable.

Indiana probably has one of the top 3-4 offenses in the Big Ten; I'd put them right there with USC and Penn State behind Ohio State.

The only offense we'll see better than what we saw today is Ohio State.

 

[MC_Cat]

I think we can probably deal with the likes of Maryland, Iowa, and Purdue, albeit those aren’t very good offensive teams. Illinois too probably. Even still I agree with you that performance was discouraging, I didn’t expect the defense to be the side that really failed.

Missed tackles, poor run defense, and lack of effective pass rush really made the difference today. That said, we had a good opportunity til giving up that 3rd and 8.

But Lausch was so much better and that is super encouraging.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Positives: this team and coaching staff are clearly able to improve over the course of the year. Lausch and offense look much improved despite the offensive line struggling in the run game with so many guys hurt.

Negative: Everybody in this conference is so good already or improving rapidly and you have to run at fast as you can just to stay in the same place

The NU administration has to decide if it really wants a competitive football program and act accordingly with regards to academic standards for athletes and NIL. Any HC that comes in here will have one hand tied behind his back compared to the other HCs/programs in the B1G. Braun is a really good coach, give him an even playing field and who knows what he can do. A new practice facility and stadium are nice, but recruits place those things at the bottom of their priority list in choosing a school.

 

[AdamOnFirst]

The NU administration has to decide if it really wants a competitive football program and act accordingly with regards to academic standards for athletes and NIL. Any HC that comes in here will have one hand tied behind his back compared to the other HCs/programs in the B1G. Braun is a really good coach, give him an even playing field and who knows what he can do. A new practice facility and stadium are nice, but recruits place those things at the bottom of their priority list in choosing a school.

The administration can only do so much to block NIL. The entire point of the ruling is they cannot do so. Yeah, I’d love the standards to change, especially in the portal, but the NIl apparatus should just simply operate regardless of whatever Schill’s shills want.

I’m not sure we have the recourses though given that our big donors seem utterly disinterested if the end result isn’t a building with their name on it

 

[cedricmelons]

The administration can only do so much to block NIL. The entire point of the ruling is they cannot do so. Yeah, I’d love the standards to change, especially in the portal, but the NIl apparatus should just simply operate regardless of whatever Schill’s shills want.

I’m not sure we have the recourses though given that our big donors seem utterly disinterested if the end result isn’t a building with their name on it

There has to be a few donors with an extra $10M or so laying around each year. I assume that would be enough to give us a kick-ass NIL fund? Seems like small potatoes compared to the $1B+ spent on The Taj Fitz, Ryan Field, and Welsh-Ryan Arena.

 

[corbi296]

Missed tackles, poor run defense, and lack of effective pass rush really made the difference today. That said, we had a good opportunity til giving up that 3rd and 8.

But Lausch was so much better and that is super encouraging.

You are being too harsh on our defense. They didn't play great but they played better than some on here are giving them credit for. Indiana has a very good offense and that QB was flawless in his execution of the game plan. Got rid of the ball super quick making it hard for the rush to get home, made excellent reads in the RPO and was very accurate in his passing and even when he was off a bit his WRs made excellent catches. They make you defend the whole width and length of the field. If they stay health and keep playing like that, they will be tough to beat.

 

[mickbula]

You are being too harsh on our defense. They didn't play great but they played better than some on here are giving them credit for. Indiana has a very good offense and that QB was flawless in his execution of the game plan. Got rid of the ball super quick making it hard for the rush to get home, made excellent reads in the RPO and was very accurate in his passing and even when he was off a bit his WRs made excellent catches. They make you defend the whole width and length of the field. If they stay health and keep playing like that, they will be tough to beat.

I think ind is off next weekend. But play neb Oct 19th. I think they'll run the table except osu game. Ind might end season 11-1. 3rd best team in BIG. Only psu and osu are better. Oregon not so sure about esp with Gabriel hobbled. Ind coach will be btcoy for sure

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

Lausch is 7-22. It seems like our offense has been backed up against the goal line the whole game.

 

[corbi296]

Anybody seeing what IU is doing to previously 5-1 Nebraska? That’s an outstanding team down in Bloomington.